A little earlier than what seems to be the norm, Niantic has officially announced a basic outline for much of what we can expect in the month of September, including Research Breakthrough, Raid Bosses, the month's Spotlght Hours, and the arrival of Victini's special research!
Research Breakthrough Encounter: Alolan Raichu
| Breakthrough Start | Breakthrough End |
|---|---|
| September 1 at 1:00 p.m PDT | October 1 at 1:00 p.m. PDT |
Alolan Raichu is September's breakthrough! This alternate evolution to the series mascot Pikachu (though you can't evolve a Pikachu into an Alolan Raichu in Go) has long been a serious force in the Great League, where it stands as a strong anti-meta pick for many of the top Pokemon in the tier. Players will have a chance to catch this powerful Pokemon, and may even be able to encounter a shiny!
Remember: the current raid boss is Scraggy, so if you're close to a breakthrough on September 1st, then consider if it's better to wait for Raichu or to claim your Scraggy!
Five Star Raid Bosses
For September, we're going to have a different raid boss each week! In conjunction with the existing raid boss, Heatran, which leaves on September 10, we can also look forward to Cresselia, Articuno, and Zapdos!
| Raids Begin | Raids End |
|---|---|
| Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT | September 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT |
| Raids Begin | Raids End |
|---|---|
| September 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT | September 25, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT |
| Raids Begin | Raids End |
|---|---|
| September 25, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT | October 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT |
Pokemon Spotlight Hours
As is now tradition, we have a new set of spotlight hours coming up, each with a new spotlight Pokemon and bonus!
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| September 1 at 6:00 p.m. local time | September 1 at 7:00 p.m. local time |
Spotlight Bonus: 2x EXP
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| September 8 at 6:00 p.m. local time | September 8 at 7:00 p.m. local time |
Spotlight Bonus: 2x Catch Candy
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| September 15 at 6:00 p.m. local time | September 15 at 7:00 p.m. local time |
Spotlight Bonus: 2x Transfer Candy
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| September 22 at 6:00 p.m. local time | September 22 at 7:00 p.m. local time |
Spotlight Bonus: 2x Evolution EXP
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| September 29 at 6:00 p.m. local time | September 29 at 7:00 p.m. local time |
Spotlight Bonus: 2x Catch Stardust
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| September 24 at 6:00 p.m. local time | September 24 at 11:59 p.m. local time |
A brand new event type, Niantic has announced Go Battle Night, a special time period in which players can enjoy 2x Stardust from Go Battle League wins, as well as a cap of 20 sets for the day, meaning players can take part in up to 100 battles!
Investigate a Mysterious Energy
For those who were unable to join in on the festivities for Go Fest 2020, Victini is getting its own special research line! It's set to release in late September, and players who have already obtained Victini via Go Fest will be able to participate, but will receive Victini candy on completion instead of a second Victini.
Jessie and James Blasting Off
Finally, it looks like Jessie and James, the antagonists from the Pokemon anime, are finally preparing to depart the world of Pokemon Go.
This duo, which offers Shadow Ekans and Shadow Koffing respectively to those who beat them, are preparing to blast off again, so keep an eye on the skies and see if you can challenge them at least one last time before it's too late!
Full Announcement
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Trainers,
Victini Special Research is coming to Trainers worldwide! Plus, you can look forward to different Legendary Raid Bosses each week! Read on to learn about what’s happening in the world of Pokémon GO in September.
September Research Breakthrough encounter
From Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Alolan Raichu, the Mouse Pokémon, will be available as a Research Breakthrough encounter. If you’re lucky, you might even encounter a Shiny one!
A month of different Legendary Raid Bosses!
Look forward to challenging a different Legendary Raid Boss during every week of September!
- From Friday, August 21, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Heatran will be available to challenge in five-star raids.
- From Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, September 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Cresselia will be available to challenge in five-star raids.
- From Friday, September 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, September 25, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Articuno will be available to challenge in five-star raids.
- From Friday, September 25, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, October 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Zapdos will be available to challenge in five-star raids.
Each week in September, there’ll be a Raid Hour event on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. local time featuring that week’s Legendary Raid Boss in five-star raids.
Pokémon Spotlight Hours
In the month of September, Pokémon Spotlight Hour will take place every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. local time, and each hour will spotlight a different Pokémon and special bonus!
- Tuesday, September 1, 2020: Eevee will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for catching Pokémon.
- Tuesday, September 8, 2020: Houndour will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for catching Pokémon.
- Tuesday, September 15, 2020: Tentacool will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for transferring Pokémon.
- Tuesday, September 22, 2020: Spearow will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for evolving Pokémon.
- Tuesday, September 29, 2020: Skitty will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Stardust for catching Pokémon.
GO Battle Night
On Thursday, September 24, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time, you’ll receive twice the Stardust for winning battles, completing sets of battles, and ranking up in the GO Battle League. You’ll also be able to complete 20 sets of GO Battle League battles, up from the regular five sets, for a total of up to 100 battles.
Victini Special Research: Investigate a Mysterious Energy
At the end of September, you can look forward to helping Professor Willow uncover the mysteries of the Mythical Pokémon Victini, the Victory Pokémon, in a new Special Research story—Investigate a Mysterious Energy! If you accessed the exclusive Pokémon GO Fest 2020: Rocket Straight to Victory Special Research during Pokémon GO Fest 2020, completing this new Special Research will earn you Victini Candy.
Jessie and James might be blasting off soon!
Great job keeping Team GO Rocket’s balloons at bay, Trainers. We’re getting word that Jessie and James will no longer appear in Pokémon GO starting on September 30th, so if you haven’t battled them yet, keep an eye out for that Meowth balloon before they make their escape!
Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated. For the latest on in-game events and feature updates, be sure to check this help center article.
—The Pokémon GO team
